Eat Around the World: Your London Food Market Guide to the World Cup 2026

Which market to visit before each match - and what to order when you get there

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London is one of the most culinarily diverse cities on the planet. On any given weekend, you can eat your way across six continents without leaving the city. During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, that fact becomes something genuinely special.

With 48 nations competing across 39 days of football, almost every country in the tournament has a food culture represented somewhere in London's food markets. Jollof rice in Brixton, tacos al pastor in Camden, lamb tagine in Borough Market, pastel de nata by the Thames. This guide maps every major London market to the World Cup nations whose food you'll find there, so you can plan your pre-match visit, eat the right country's food before kick-off, and arrive at the pub already in the spirit.

Use the Food Marketplace directory to check opening times and browse vendor menus before you head out.

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Borough Market - The European Powerhouse

SE1 · Tuesday–Saturday · View market

If you had to pick one market that covers the most World Cup nations in a single visit, it's Borough Market. The sheer range of European and North African produce and prepared food here is unmatched anywhere in London. New to it? Read our ultimate Borough Market foodie guide first.

🇫🇷 France - Group I · France vs Senegal, Tue 16 Jun, 8pm BST Borough Market's French traders are the real deal. Look for galettes bretonnes (buckwheat crêpes with ham, egg, and Gruyère), proper French cheeses from Neal's Yard and the continental cheese stalls, and fresh baguettes. For a sit-down, there's always something with boeuf and red wine. France vs Senegal on 16 June is the classiest fixture of the group stage - eat accordingly.

🇪🇸 Spain - Group H · Spain vs Cape Verde, Mon 15 Jun, 5pm BST Jamón ibérico sliced fresh at the counter, proper Spanish charcuterie, saffron and smoked paprika, and the occasional paella trader doing it properly. A 5pm kick-off means you can do Borough on the way home from work and be in a pub for Spain vs Cape Verde with time to spare.

🇵🇹 Portugal - Group K · Portugal vs DR Congo, Wed 17 Jun, 6pm BST Pastel de nata - the caramelised egg custard tart that is arguably the best pastry in the world - can be found here, alongside Portuguese charcuterie, dried salt cod (bacalhau), and bifana rolls. Browse vendor menus to plan what to grab before the 6pm kick-off.

🇲🇦 Morocco - Group C · Brazil vs Morocco, Sat 13 Jun, 11pm BST Lamb tagine with preserved lemon and olives, msemen flatbreads, harira soup. Borough Market's North African traders are consistent year-round. Morocco vs Brazil is the big opening weekend blockbuster - have your tagine ready before midnight.

🇭🇷 Croatia - Group L · England vs Croatia, Wed 17 Jun, 9pm BST Pršut (Dalmatian dry-cured ham) and quality charcuterie broadly. Borough Market is where you stock up for the England vs Croatia opener - Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, pork pies, Cornish pasties - the full English match-night spread. See also: our full England fixtures guide.

Best time to visit for World Cup prep: Wednesday before 5pm, or Saturday morning early. Check the market map for nearby transport.

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Brixton Village Market - West Africa on Your Doorstep

SW9 · Daily · View market

No market in London comes close to Brixton Village Market for West African and Caribbean food culture. For the World Cup, it is essential - and not just for England vs Ghana. Group I has France vs Senegal, and Group C features Morocco. Brixton covers the full breadth of African football in this tournament. For more West African food spots, our Leather Lane Afro-Caribbean food guide is worth a read too.

🇬🇭 Ghana - Group L · England vs Ghana, Tue 23 Jun, 9pm BST This is the one. If you're only making one pre-match market visit all tournament, make it Brixton before England vs Ghana. Jollof rice (the best version of a national argument between Ghana and Nigeria), kelewele (spiced fried plantain with ginger and scotch bonnet), waakye (rice and beans with stew), and fufu with groundnut soup. Go at 6pm, eat properly, and make your way to a pub for 9pm.

🇸🇳 Senegal - Group I · France vs Senegal, Tue 16 Jun, 8pm BST Thiéboudienne - rice cooked in spiced tomato and fish broth with whole grilled fish and root vegetables - is widely considered the greatest dish in West Africa. Yassa poulet (chicken in lemon and caramelised onion) and mafé (peanut butter stew) are the other essentials. Brixton is your best bet in London for finding authentic Senegalese cooking.

🇩🇿 Algeria - Group J · Argentina vs Algeria, Wed 17 Jun, 2am BST Merguez sausages (spicy lamb with harissa), couscous with lamb and root vegetables, brik (crispy pastry with egg and tuna). Brixton's North African food presence pairs well with Algeria's 2am kick-off - a midnight Brixton run for supplies is exactly the kind of commitment this game deserves.

🇨🇩 DR Congo - Group K · Portugal vs DR Congo, Wed 17 Jun, 6pm BST Pondu (cassava leaf stew with fish or meat), moambe chicken (braised in palm nut sauce), fufu. Central African cooking is harder to find in London, but Brixton's diverse food scene gives you the best chance. Ask around - the market rewards curiosity.

Best time to visit: Any day from noon onwards. Open daily, so there's no excuse.

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Camden Market - The World Cup in One Postcode

NW1 · Daily · View market

Camden Market is the most internationally diverse food market in London, and during the World Cup it becomes something extraordinary. You can, without exaggeration, eat the food of more competing nations here than anywhere else in the city. Our Camden Market street food guide covers everything you need to know - including how to eat brilliantly for under £10.

🇲🇽 Mexico - Group A · Mexico vs South Africa, Thu 11 Jun, 8pm BST · Opening match Tacos al pastor - spit-roasted pork with pineapple on handmade corn tortillas, finished with coriander and lime - is Camden's strongest card. This is the dish that defines Mexican street food and Camden does it properly. The opening match is a perfect excuse. Elote (chargrilled corn with chilli, lime and cotija cheese) alongside.

🇧🇷 Brazil - Group C · Brazil vs Morocco, Sat 13 Jun, 11pm BST Coxinha (shredded chicken inside fried dough, teardrop-shaped), pão de queijo (chewy cheese bread), and brigadeiro (chocolate truffle). Brazilian food at Camden is vivid and sociable - ideal for the first blockbuster of the tournament.

🇯🇵 Japan - Group F · Netherlands vs Japan, Sun 14 Jun, 9pm BST Takoyaki (octopus balls with bonito flakes and Japanese mayo), ramen, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), and matcha everything. Camden's Japanese food offer is strong. Pair with our best Korean dishes at UK food markets guide for a full East Asian match-night spread.

🇰🇷 South Korea - Group A · South Korea vs Czechia, Thu 11 Jun, 11pm BST Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes in gochujang sauce), Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, japchae. East Asian street food is thriving right now and Camden leads the way. And if you want to go deeper into Korean food culture, read our kimchi guide - kimchi belongs on your watch party table all tournament.

🇦🇷 Argentina - Group J · Argentina vs Algeria, Wed 17 Jun, 2am BST Empanadas (half-moon pastries with spiced beef, olive, and egg) and choripán (grilled chorizo in a crusty roll with chimichurri). Even at 2am. Especially at 2am.

🇺🇸 USA - Group D · USA vs Paraguay, Fri 12 Jun, 2am BST Smash burgers, lobster rolls, New York-style hot dogs, Buffalo wings. Camden's American food stalls deliver the full lineup.

🇩🇪 Germany - Group E · Germany vs Curaçao, Sun 14 Jun, 6pm BST Bratwurst, currywurst, soft pretzels. Consistently available and reliably good. The 6pm kick-off is the most sociable of the German group games - grab the sausages on a Saturday, fire up the grill Sunday.

Best time to visit: Weekends are best for full choice. Open daily - good for those midweek 9pm kick-offs.

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Southbank Centre Food Market - The Riverside World Tour

SE1 · Friday–Sunday · View market

Right on the Thames, open Friday through Sunday, Southbank Centre Food Market is arguably the most atmospheric food market in London for a pre-match visit. We've covered the Southbank food experience in detail - from gözleme fresh off the griddle to global flavours along the riverside. The atmosphere on a summer Friday evening, with the Thames behind you and football on the horizon, is hard to beat.

🇫🇷 France - Group I · France vs Senegal, Tue 16 Jun, 8pm BST The Southbank is as close to a Parisian food market as London gets. Galettes, crêpes, cheeses, wine. Eat on the South Bank, then find a screen nearby.

🇯🇵 Japan & 🇰🇷 South Korea Ramen, takoyaki, Japanese curry, Korean fried chicken. The Southbank's East Asian food traders are some of the most reliable in London. Check out our Korean food guide for what to order.

🇹🇷 Türkiye - Group D · Australia vs Türkiye, Sun 14 Jun, 2am BST Gözleme - the layered flatbread filled with cheese or meat, freshly made on a griddle - is one of the Southbank's signature dishes. Perfectly paired with a late-night Turkish coffee. Read the full gözleme guide here.

🇧🇷 Brazil - Group C · Brazil vs Morocco, Sat 13 Jun, 11pm BST Coxinha, Brazilian BBQ skewers, pão de queijo. Saturday is the day for the Southbank - the market is at full strength and Brazil vs Morocco kicks off at 11pm, giving you all evening to graze.

🇦🇷 Argentina - Group J · Argentina vs Algeria, Wed 17 Jun, 2am BST Empanadas and asado-style grilled beef. The Southbank has South American traders consistently on weekends. Stock up Saturday or Friday for the Wednesday 2am fixture.

Best time to visit: Friday evening is the sweet spot - the market is lively, the Thames is golden, and you've got the whole weekend of football ahead.

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Maltby Street Market - The Artisan Match-Day Choice

SE1 · Saturday–Sunday · View market

Maltby Street Market under the Bermondsey railway arches is smaller, more curated, and arguably the best market in London for quality over quantity. For the World Cup, it punches above its weight - particularly for European food cultures and the artisan end of international street food. Close to Borough Market - the two make an excellent Saturday double.

🇪🇸 Spain - Group H · Spain vs Cape Verde, Mon 15 Jun, 5pm BST Jamón, chorizo, Spanish cheeses, patatas bravas from a serious operator. Maltby Street takes its Spanish produce seriously. A Saturday Maltby visit sets you up perfectly for the Monday evening kick-off.

🇦🇷 Argentina - Group J South American producers doing empanadas and Argentine-style barbecue. Worth the trip just for this.

🇩🇪 Germany - Group E German sausages done properly - not the supermarket kind. Bratwurst, weisswurst, quality mustard. Artisan quality, worth every penny.

🇬🇧 England - Group L · England vs Croatia, Wed 17 Jun, 9pm BST Maltby Street is brilliant for British artisan produce - aged cheeses, cured meats, sourdough, pork products. Stock your England watch party from here on the preceding Saturday.

Best time to visit: Saturday morning early - the best stalls sell out.

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Old Spitalfields Market - East London's Global Food Hub

E1 · Daily · View market

Old Spitalfields Market sits at the intersection of the City and East London, open daily, and particularly strong for East and South-East Asian food cultures - making it the go-to for the Group F and Group A East Asian fixtures.

🇯🇵 Japan - Group F · Netherlands vs Japan, Sun 14 Jun, 9pm BST Spitalfields has some of the most authentic Japanese street food in London. Takoyaki, ramen bowls, matcha soft-serve, Japanese curry. Plan your Sunday around this market and the 9pm kick-off.

🇰🇷 South Korea - Group A Korean BBQ, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki. East London has a strong Korean food presence and Spitalfields channels it well.

🇦🇺 Australia - Group D · Australia vs Türkiye, Sun 14 Jun, 2am BST Australian-influenced brunch and barbecue culture. Flat whites and smashed avo in the morning, watching the Australia game at 2am - Spitalfields has the coffee culture to see you through.

Best time to visit: Thursday and Friday for quieter browsing; Sunday for full atmosphere. Browse vendor menus to plan ahead.

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Brick Lane Market - South Asia, the Caribbean & Beyond

E1 · Sunday · View market

Brick Lane Market on a Sunday is London at its most eclectic - Bangladeshi curry houses, vintage dealers, Caribbean food stalls, and a general sense of Sunday morning freedom. For the World Cup, it covers some nations you won't find as easily elsewhere.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh (adjacent nations) - Bangladesh isn't in the World Cup, but the surrounding South Asian food culture of Brick Lane - curries, biryani, samosas, lassi - maps beautifully onto watching the Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka equivalent in cricket. For football: the South Asian community here will be following their diaspora nations.

🇶🇦 Qatar - Group B · Qatar vs Switzerland, Sat 13 Jun, 8pm BST Middle Eastern food - falafel, shawarma, hummus, fattoush - reflects the food culture of the Gulf region Qatar represents.

🇺🇾 Uruguay - Group H · Uruguay vs Cape Verde, Sun 21 Jun, 11pm BST South American and Latin American food threads through Brick Lane's Sunday market. Worth exploring.

🇨🇦 Canada - Group B · Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina, Fri 12 Jun, 8pm BST Canadian food culture is famously multicultural - poutine (chips, cheese curds, gravy), butter tarts, maple-cured bacon. Brick Lane's eclectic Sunday market occasionally throws up Canadian traders.

Best time to visit: Sunday only. Go before noon for the market at its fullest.

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Broadway Market - England's Home Ground

E8 · Saturdays only, 9am–5pm · View market

Broadway Market in Hackney is the quintessential London Saturday market - artisan bread, Neal's Yard-quality cheese, proper coffee, sourdough pizza, excellent charcuterie, and a crowd that takes food seriously. For the World Cup, it's England's home ground.

🇬🇧 England - Group L · Panama vs England, Sat 27 Jun, 10pm BST Saturday 27 June is a perfect Broadway Market day. Spend the morning there - pick up aged cheddar, proper pork pies, sourdough bread, artisan beer, and the makings of a serious watch party spread. Head home, set things up, and be ready for 10pm. If England are already through, the atmosphere will be electric. If they need the result, it'll be nail-biting. Either way, Broadway Market on the morning of the group decider is the right call.

🇭🇷 Croatia - Group L · England vs Croatia, Wed 17 Jun, 9pm BST Broadway's Eastern European bakery presence - quality sourdough, rye breads, the occasional Croatian-adjacent pastry - gives you the vaguest nod to the Croatia group opener. More importantly, the coffee here is excellent for a Wednesday pre-match sharpener.

🇸🇪 Sweden - Group F · Sweden vs Tunisia, Mon 15 Jun, 12am BST Scandinavian-influenced baking and produce. Cardamom buns, rye crispbreads, pickled herring. Broadway Market's artisan bakers occasionally lean Scandi. It's a 12am kick-off - at least the snacks will be good.

Best time to visit: 9am–11am for the best bread and cheese before the good stuff sells out.

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Greenwich Market - Global Food for South London Fans

SE10 · Thursday–Sunday · View market

Greenwich Market sits inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site with a rotating cast of international street food traders - a genuinely global selection that changes weekly but consistently delivers world food.

🌍 Global mix - multiple groups Greenwich's strength is its unpredictability. On any given weekend you might find: Venezuelan arepas, Japanese ramen, Lebanese mezze, South African braai, Peruvian ceviche. It maps loosely onto Group C, Group D and Group H - the most internationally spread groups.

🇿🇦 South Africa - Group A · Mexico vs South Africa, Thu 11 Jun, 8pm BST Greenwich is one of the more reliable places to find South African food in London - boerewors sausages, biltong, bunny chow. The opening match on Thursday 11 June means Greenwich is open and ready.

🇻🇪 Venezuela / Latin America Venezuela isn't in the tournament but the arepas traders at Greenwich give you a taste of the Latin American food culture that's strongly represented across Groups C, H and J.

Best time to visit: Weekend daytime - the market is quieter midweek but still worth the trip Thursday or Friday.

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Seven Dials Market - The Compact World Food Hall

WC2H · Daily · Read our guide

Seven Dials Market near Covent Garden is a covered food hall rather than a traditional outdoor market - which makes it the perfect rain-proof option for a soggy June evening. Read the full Seven Dials Market guide for what's inside.

🇮🇹 Italy (Italy didn't qualify, but the Italian food is still here) Pizza, pasta, proper Italian coffee. Sometimes the best World Cup food is eating the food of a nation that didn't make it and feeling smug about it.

🇫🇷 France - Group I French-style crêpes and brasserie food. Covent Garden has a strong French food presence and Seven Dials channels it.

🌍 Global mix The covered hall format means you can graze across cuisines in a single visit. For a pre-match food hall run, it's one of the most efficient options in central London.

Best time to visit: Weekday evenings for 5pm kick-offs without the weekend crowds.

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The Nation-by-Nation Quick Reference

Use this table to find the right market for each World Cup nation before the match.

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Plan Your World Cup Market Calendar

The Food Marketplace adventure tool will find the best market near you on any match day - just tell it what you're looking for. Use the interactive map to plan your route if you're combining a market visit with a pub nearby.

Here's the simplest version of the summer:

• Thursdays & Fridays → Borough Market or Southbank Centre Food Market for European and global food
• Saturdays → Broadway Market in the morning, Maltby Street Market for lunch, pub by evening
• Sundays → Camden Market or Old Spitalfields Market for Asian and global food
• Any day → Brixton Village Market for West African food before any Group I or Group L match

Discover all London food markets on the platform, or browse vendor menus to plan exactly what to eat before you leave the house.

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Keep Going After the Tournament

The World Cup ends on 19 July. The markets don't.

One of the best things about eating your way through the tournament at London's street food markets is that it introduces you to food cultures you might not have sought out otherwise. The jollof rice trader at Brixton is there every week. The gözleme griddle at Southbank is there every Friday. The Moroccan tagine at Borough Market will be there long after the final whistle.

Football finishes. Good food is always in season. Find your next market here.

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Related reading:

• World Cup 2026: Where to Watch in London, What to Eat & Full Schedule
• The Ultimate Borough Market Foodie Guide
• Camden Market: Street Food, Vegan Eats & Budget Bites Under £10
• Best Korean Dishes to Try at UK Food Markets in 2026
• Leather Lane Market: Afro-Caribbean Flavours in Farringdon
• Southbank Centre Food Market: Global Flavours by the Thames
• How to Become a Street Food Vendor in the UK